A water pipe of the type used for smoking comprises an elongated cylindrical tube member which is typically filled with a liquid, such as water, to a level some arbitrary distance above the open, lower end portion of a hollow stem member that is attached to, or through a side wall of the cylindrical tube member of the water pipe apparatus. The hollow stem member provides support for the pipe bowl that is used to contain the smoking substance. The pipe bowl is itself typically an assembly comprising a short stem onto which the pipe bowl is attached at one end and sometimes the pipe structure detachably inserts into the outer open end of an additional hollow stem member. A holder for manipulating a hot pipe bowl is interdisposed between the pipe bowl and the upper end of the short stem. The hollow stem member attaches to the side wall of the cylindrical tube member at an angle that is less than 90 degrees and greater than zero degrees. The basic idea being to maintain the smoking substance within the pipe bowl while being used. The side wall of the elongated cylindrical tube, where the hollow stem member attaches, is provided with an entry port which may be fitted with a grommet sized to receive the body of the hollow stem member in a water-tight manner. The elongated cylindrical tube member is usually supported at the bottom end by a base member. The bottom end of the cylindrical tube typically inserts into a cavity provided on the base, and fits such that a water-tight fit is produced. The upper end of the elongated cylindrical tube is sometimes finished smooth or may be fitted with a removable mouthpiece that fits about the rim of the tube. The length of the elongated cylindrical tube determines basically the height of the water pipe apparatus, and may be six (6) inches to seventy-two inches (72) inches or more in height. Upon filling the elongated tube with a liquid, such as water, to a desired level above the open, lower end of the hollow stem member, the water level also extends into the hollow stem member. The higher the water level is in the elongated cylindrical tube, the higher the water level extends into the hollow stem member. The high level of the water in the hollow stem member sometimes results in the pipe bowl being highly susceptible to water being spilled into the pipe bowl by any inadvertent tipping of the upright water pipe structure. The spillage into the pipe bowl is a highly undesirable situation, as is any spillage of liquid out of the pipe bowl onto the floor.
To applicant's knowledge, the prior art does not teach the placement of any valving means to prevent the foregoing described spillage of liquid via the pipe bowl end of the water pipe apparatus. Accordingly, a need is seen to exist for a water pipe apparatus which is provided with a valving means for preventing the spillage of a liquid, such as water, through the pipe bowl attachment structure.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a hollow stem apparatus for use on a water pipe structure for functionally supporting a pipe bowl and that is provided with a valving means for preventing the spillage of a liquid, such as water through the pipe bowl.
A related object of the present invention to provide water pipe smoking structure provided with a hollow stem apparatus that is used for functionally supporting a pipe bowl and that is provided with a valve means for preventing the spillage of water through the pipe bowl.